


On The Road to Bergen

by Kelkat9



Series: Forever Verse [2]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Action/Adventure, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Light Angst, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-10
Updated: 2020-11-20
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:42:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27481399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kelkat9/pseuds/Kelkat9
Summary: After arriving back in Pete's World and dealing with the Kraken and the Doctor's regeneration sickness, Rose and the Doctor's road trip to Bergen hits a slight problem.  One they solve but leads to working through relationship issues and the trauma from saving the universe.
Relationships: Metacrisis Tenth Doctor/Rose Tyler
Series: Forever Verse [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2008159
Comments: 31
Kudos: 56





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Fic 2 in this series. Lots of banter and them being them except this time, they have to recover from their adventure in a nice hotel suite whilst UNIT keeps an eye on them. Sometimes saving the Universe means healing themselves along with it.

One would think a road trip to Bergen would be wind in their hair, full of anticipation, gorgeous views and a sense of freedom from mundane obligations like reporting into UNIT and that call from your Mum demanding you show up for tea and family time.

Sadly, or maybe not so sadly, this was not the case for Rose and the Doctor.

The Doctor effect came into play. Or maybe it was the Rose and Doctor effect. Together, they were a duo of chaotic energy, adventure and a little oops we stumbled into a possibly save the world problem. Or in this case, save the locals and some tourists.

Rose was the designated driver on this trip. Despite a certain Metacrisis asserting he had a human license. On another Earth. Teasing and banter about Norway, food and rubbish chips they’d enjoyed was interrupted by two abandoned cars and a lorry that blocked the road with car doors hanging open. 

Rose was the first out of the car quickly followed by the Doctor. So much for get to know you all over again road trip.

“Traffic’s a bit rubbish.” He nudged her side, eyes crinkling with that essence of Doctor excitement. She had to admit, even tired from saving the multiverse, she was just as much an adrenaline junkie as the Doctor.

“It’s weird. Not the traffic or the accident. This is a main highway but why abandon the cars and lorry? No one’s even called out to us. Makes one wonder.”

“Like how there’s no birds or insects making sound. Dark and ominous forest is lining the road on both sides, or how the hair on my manly hand just stood up.” He held up said hand, the one that he grew out of, to be exact.

While the Doctor vibrated with excitement and adventure, Rose fell back into heart pounding the world is about to end training. Barely breathing, she made a quick survey of the vehicles noting dents and gouges that didn’t come from car on car damage. The trees rose up into an overcast covering a rocky incline leading up to more mountainous terrain. It gave her an icy chill up her spine. The kind she sometimes felt…no.

“I don’t have my Cyber kit,” she breathed out, every muscle locked. 

“I don’t want to know what’s in a Cyber kit do I?” the Doctor asked, with a familiar Time Lord disdain. All affection and excitement vanished.

“I’m sure you don’t.” Rose refused to put up with mighty Time Lord morality when she’d seen so many people die. “You can stay here and judge. I need to look in the cars. Keep an eye on the woods.” She eased forward, tension coiling in her middle.

“Should I salute now?” he called out and Rose caught herself from whipping around. 

Arguing his hurt ego and the dynamics of who took the lead was not her priority. If there were Cybers, they didn’t have time for a row or losing focus on their surroundings. Instead she ignored him. A first for her when so much of her time had been spent trying to find him.

The cars were a few meters away, steam floated from the front of the generic white lorry. The only sound was her boots on the pavement.

She didn’t see any blood. Yet. A sour, swampy scent came from nearby. Not Cybers then, but the list of what it could be was just as ugly. Jake liked to talk about his Yeti assignment and then there was that one report of a basilisk. And her least favorite werewolves. There were reports pockets of them lived in remote regions. The Mountains of Norway weren’t out of the question.

“The universe hates me,” Rose muttered.

“I doubt as much as me.” The Doctor waltzed by straight to a white Volkswagen Golf that was missing a door. He stuck his head inside oblivious to their surroundings. 

“Might want to be a little less eager to stick your neck out. You only have one life.” She hated to be that nagging whatever she was to him. But he still seemed oblivious to danger. Or he didn’t care. Her stomach clenched at darker aspects in his personality she’d witnessed on a few past adventures. And since arriving, he’d had one panic attack already. That she knew about. 

She couldn’t discount how often he didn’t care about his own life. Especially, in the face of what happened on the Dalek Crucible.

“Well this answers one question,” he said cheerily climbing out of the car.

“What do you mean?”

“Agent or is it commander or some other title they call you?” He pulled out his sonic and waved it over the scraped metal.

“Agent and I’m not going to apologize for doing my job. Which includes keeping you safe, even from yourself.”

“Nine hundred three years and I’ve done just fine,” he answered. “On that beach I asked to spend my life with you, not for you to be my keeper.” He focused too long on the sonic.

“Partners,” Rose reminded him, taking a look at the interior of the car noting broken glasses, and a handbag with contents spilled on the floorboard. “And that means listening to each other, talking and not letting someone you love do something that might get him hurt, and especially after facing Daleks. So please remember I’d like you around longer than a day. This isn’t cybers.”

“Got that,” he ignored her and stared into the woods. 

“There’s something off in the dark and spooky woods,” Rose acknowledged, again getting that sick scent sitting heavy in the air. “And we aren’t prepared for the number of things it could be.”

That captured his attention.

“Theories?” he asked, calmer and less a prat this time. But not by much given that tick in his jaw.

“Bloody Norway,” Rose breathed out and reached for her mobile. Which oddly had no signal. “I can call across the Void and on the beach but not when I actually need help. We’re on our own.”

“Better that way. Or does Agent Tyler—”

“Stop it!” Rose was setting him straight. “You were fine letting me handle Cthulhu. What’s the problem now?”

“The problem is we’re establishing a pattern where you, Rose Tyler, don’t trust me. Metacrisis doesn’t mean useless.”

“No, it doesn’t. And it doesn’t give you a free pass to treat me like I haven’t lived in this world and know a bit more than you about it. There are things here that aren’t in universe prime. Let me suss out which thing it is and then you go do your brilliant solution Time Lord thing. Without dying, please.”

“A bit of morbid fascination you have with my mortality,” he kicked a pebble off the road.

“I’m tired of losing you.” Her voice shook more than she wanted. She blinked back tears and walked away from him around the car until she reached a gravel strewn area on the side of the road.

“Let’s just get this over with,” he sighed having quickly moved to her side. “I’m sorry.” Hands shoved in his coat pockets, he gravitated just short of doing their usual affirming hip bump.

“I’m sorry too,” Rose admitted with relief. “I’m not trying to order you around. I’m being cautious. Neither of us is in top form. And I’m still uptight from dimension jumps and everything that happened. Not exactly ready to face whatever made these tracks.” She bit her lip at the clear drag marks and unless she had it wrong, a very large indentation in the soil heading toward the trees.

“Ohhhh look at this!” the Doctor cooed, tension between them now shoved aside. “Large. Bipedal. Shuffling or could be dragging something or one.” He knelt down and scooped up some gravel.

“Please don’t lick that,” Rose felt compelled to remind him. He smirked and stood up.

“Nope,” he popped his p. “Rather lick something nicer than gravel.”

Rose’s jaw dropped at his innuendo and that naughty glint in his eyes before he shoved his gravel filled hand at her.

“Blood smears.”

“Shit,” she breathed and looked up at the trees. 

“You were saying you had life forms in this universe that didn’t exist in ours?” He tossed the gravel down and Rose flinched at the noise.

“You saw the kraken. There’s more than Cthulhu out there. Dad’s a bit obsessed with old legends and unexplained phenomena. So is Jake. He had to track this big foot man-monkey thing. And Dad has tons of books in his library about myths like dragons, basilisk or the whole werewolf and Queen Victoria history.”

“Lupine Wavelength Haemovariform,” he corrected. “It existed here too? Was that the point of universal split?”

“Could be. Here it nipped the royal family and that’s how this Torchwood was formed. To hunt them down after they massacred a village and started infecting the aristocracy. People still don’t like to talk about it. Or any of the other weird stuff that only…” She drifted off before she put the pieces together. 

“only?” he asked.

“They started showing up when the universal walls thinned the first time. When Pete brought Mum and me back. Rumors started. A few odd cases here and there and much worse when the Stars started going out.”

“Like what?” he asked, darting a few glances into the woods and setting his hand on the small of her back, fingers digging slightly into her jacket.

“Well at first I was sure it was aliens. Still might have been. There were these gremlin type things. Tearing up cars, electronics, motors.”

“Anything with an EM signature,” he added. “And?”

“Caused accidents, took out power grids and for the public it was chalked up to terrorists. After the cybermen, there was a lot of blaming to go around. But at Torchwood, we knew it wasn’t. Nothing showed up CCTV except the destruction. Invisible they were. Micks was all over it with theories and him and Jake really got into it.” She smiled at the memory of a pub night discussion. “They set up a trap with an EM pulse. Didn’t end so well. Green gloopy bits everywhere and—” Rose frowned and shuddered at the memory.

Rose didn’t know what the Doctor said in whatever alien language he used but she was sure it was something derogatory about humans.

“I didn’t let them do it again. Pete made them lower the power so it just scared the little invisible gremlins off. Although they were kind of helpful with the Cybers,” Rose added with a lighter tone.

“You…you sent gremlins after Cybermen? That is twisted in a weird parallel world way.” He sputtered and his entire mood lightened. “Rose Tyler, you—”

Whatever he was about to say, he never finished as a shrieking roar boomed like a thunder.

“Oh, that’s not good,” Rose admitted backing up a step and pulling him with her.

“That’s no gremlin,” he said with awe as branches snapped, leaves shook and gravel skittered down to the road.

“I think we need to get back to the jeep.” Rose again tugged at him but he was not moving fast enough. Especially, when the flipping huge brown furred, tree wearing thing emerged from the woods.

“Landvættir,” the Doctor softly uttered the Norweigen word. “Oh, it’s beautiful! Rose, this is right out of Norse mythology. I’ve only ever heard stories or seen artistic impressions.”

“Yeah, it’s big and doesn’t seem happy.” She could see black eyes boring into them as gravel and dirt flew off when it shook its head.

“Territorial and a touch cranky. You said activity was increased with the universal fluctuations, global warming, electromagnetic storms. It might have awakened or agitated it and… He lifted up his sonic. It’s responding with its own resonance. Uh, doesn’t seem to like the sonic. He..uh she..they are coming this way. Hello.” He gave a finger wiggling wave to the creature bigger than a double decker bus.

“You don’t need to prove anything. You’re the Doctor. The big brilliant Time Lord I’d like to get back in the jeep.” Rose kept tugging. He dug his trainers in and the big Land-o-vatir whatever giant came out them howling, tree-like arms raised. 

“Time to run!” The Doctor raced with Rose back to their jeep. They didn’t make it.

For something so incredibly large, covered in chunks of Earth and trees…it moved fast. Which was proven when the Doctor was yanked from her grasp.

Rose spun and ducked but not fast enough as a thick branch hit her in the chest sending her flying until she landed in gravel by the road. Vaguely registering pain, She scrambled up and caught sight of the Doctor’s wide brown eyes as he was dangled in front of it. His mouth worked the word run. 

Which Rose did. She wasn’t happy about it but she trusted him. One muscle burning sprint and she ducked into the woods, peering from behind prickly pine brush as the creature tucked the Doctor into its foliage and marched back toward the woods, stomping on a car hood for good measure.

Rose kept low and moved to follow. 

“Not one fucking day and he gets himself kidnapped.” Rose ignored the sharp ache in her chest and knee where she’d hit the ground hard. Metacrisis or not they were back in the old routine. “And he called me jeopardy friendly.” She followed the sound of him gasping and talking because of course he would talk to the big forest monster hauling him off.

At least it wasn’t eating him.


	2. Chapter 2

“You are one gorgeous Landvættir. And I know you’re upset but we’re here to help. I’m the Doctor and that was Rose that you tossed. Really shouldn’t have done that. I mean roses are flowers and you seem to be all..oomp.” The Doctor’s voice faded into the distance. 

Rose kept moving, following behind the crushed ferns, stomped foliage and broken tree limbs. Overcast and shadowy, the tall spruce and Juniper forest closed in around her until she could barely breathe. Or maybe that was a cracked rib.

Panic, her faithful companion, tightened in her chest and drummed in her ears. What if it…No. Rose couldn’t go there. He’d be all right. Wasn’t he always?

But he was part human now. The sinister, cloying voice lashed at her training to remain calm and problem solve. 

Why couldn’t they have a few hours of peace? They’d been nice in the car. He’d bubbled out so many facts about Norway and his past. It had been like they always were together.

Except things were different now. Rose was different. Maybe she was too world or universe weary for him now.

She still yearned for the comfort of his presence. Even part human, she still felt an air of wisdom, confidence and well she missed his babble. Even when he’d gone all pompous Time Lord when they’d stopped to check out the cars, she felt a connection, even if sparked with annoyance at times. Deep down she knew the accusations and arrogant part of him came from insecurity and a need to prove himself. He’d as much as said so. She liked how he confronted her. It felt good in some twisted mucked up relationship building way she probably needed to work through in therapy.

“Please give me another chance to talk to him.” She said the prayer to the universe and hoped it listened this time. She’d done bloody well enough to protect it and it owed her this one favor.

The universe answered back and she shouldn’t have been surprised. A sticky wetness smeared on her fingers as she shoved a branch aside. Even in the dim light, the red stood out. Training was the only thing keeping her standing. That and the slight cough to her right.

“Hello?” she whispered. A hitched breath and whimper answered her.

“Not going to hurt you.” She continued forward. Wiping her hand on her trousers, Rose focused on slow, quiet movements until she found an older woman with gray streaked brown hair huddled next to a tree, blood staining her beige and navy jumper.

“hjelp meg.” The woman’s voice cracked. Rose sank down into the damp ground, wet sinking through her trousers.

“Sorry, I don’t speak Norwegian. I’m Rose. You’re hurt?” Rose hoped she understood.

“Snakk a little English. Elin.” She gestured toward her and then held out her hands, scraped and caked with dirt and blood.

“You’ll be all right, Elin.” Rose pulled a med kit form her pocket. It was only gauze and disinfecting spray but it worked in a pinch. She gently wiped off Elin’s hands.

“Were you running from that thing? From a car on the road?” Rose asked, even as the woman shook like a leaf.

“Erik,” She gasped, tears pouring down her reddened cheeks.

“Did it take Erik?” Elin nodded and pointed in the same direction Rose had been following for the Doctor. “It took my Doctor too.” She finished with Elin’s hands and encouraged her to hold them palms up for the disinfecting spray to dry.

Suddenly the woman yanked her down lower to the ground as a rough growl shattered the silent woods until the ground vibrated beneath them. Elin curled into a ball shaking and sobbing.

“It’s going to be all right.” Words Rose didn’t believe but she was Rose Tyler, defender of the multi verse and she could say nothing less. “Look, I’ve got to keep following it. Do you have a mobile and does it work?” Rose held up hers. Elin shook her head and showed Rose she had the same issue proving one Doctor theory right. 

“Ida, another, she gikk for help. I stay.”

Rose’s stomach clenched. The blood on the leaves was too thick to come from Elin’s hands.

“So there were two of you and the other woman went for help.” Rose hadn’t seen any one else. “Was Ida traveling with a bloke, another man and did it take him?” Rose had a theory which Elin’s vigorous nod proved. “It’s only taking men.” Again, Elin agreed. “Great, a woman hating forest monster. Looks like he got his wish to be in charge and talk his way out of this one.”

“Please” Elin grabbed Rose’s arm, eyes glistening but she had strength to her grip, even with injured hands. Rose nodded and mustered the best comforting smile she could.

“Let’s find them first. Then I’ll think of something until Ida gets back with help.” If Ida got back. Rose had a feeling it was up to her and Elin.

With the light waning, Rose needed to make a tactical survey. 

“Elin,” she whispered and tugged the red-faced woman toward a thick trunked pine with low hanging branches. She pointed up and Elin shook her head. Rose smiled as best she could and squeezed her shoulders before steeling herself to climb. Not her area, tree climbing. Sort of like fishing. 

“You will so owe me for saving your arse from the big forest spirit or whatever the hell it is.” Rose jumped up and missed the lowest branch until Elin tapped her shoulder. Bloody hell but the woman was strong as Rose put a foot in Elin’s injured, braced hands and she heaved Rose up. 

Straining and sweat soaking her t-shirt beneath her leather coat, Rose focused on all the things the Doctor was going to do for her. Foot massage topping the list. Followed up by laundry, him doing all of it. Snogging. That sonic pressure point massage thing he did. Out of breath, tears came. Why did she waste time on that beach? She could lose him. 

Collapsed on a tree limb, back against the trunk, she sat shivering and crying. Misery in the middle of Norwegian forest. She needed to be rescuing his arse. Her phone vibrated against her bum. Almost falling out of the tree, she grabbed it.

“Control?” her voice croaked in relief.

“Rose? Where are you?” Jake demanded. “Yours GPS stopped and we’re getting reports that there are trolls marching on the road near Bergen.”

“Trolls?” Rose barked out a laugh. “We never made it that far. Unless a troll looks like a piece of the mountain came to life obsessed with collecting blokes.”

“You found a mountain monster? We’ll have to add that to the list. So is I like a yeti or—”

“Jake! I don’t know and I’ve got bigger problems.”

“It took him, didn’t it?” Can’t you two have one normal day?” Jake groaned.

“I’d give a lot for normal. Like a spa hotel in Bergen. Right now, I need some help. The Doctor called it a landvaytir or something like that. There were some accidents on the road and we stopped to check it out before the big forest monster came out of the woods and you know how the Doctor is. And well, it scooped him up.” A loud echoing screech filled the air.

“Uh Jake, gotta go. Send a team to my last GPS signal. I might lose my mobile service and I’ve got to find him and the others before something bad happens.”

“You can’t lose mobile service and what others?”

“Just send a team, Jake. It’s like a kraken, only forest and mean, and I think it might have killed someone.” Rose’s voice waned as she caught sight of a woman hanging from a tree, and she was most definitely not moving. “Gotta go,” she gasped.

Rose scrambled down, catching a glimpse of familiar bright blue not too far ahead. Urgency spiked her adrenaline. All logic fled as she practically fell from the tree branch to branch until she fell next to Elin.

“Rose?”

“This way,” Rose barely choked the words out before she was sprinting through the forest, branches whipping at her face. Elin fell behind and called after her. Rose barely heard her. Mind blanking panic drove her, pushing through pines and brush, toward the Doctor. She couldn’t lose him. Not again. 

The only moment of clarity came with the ground rolling under her feet until she fell to her knees. She crawled toward the clearing where men were laid next to each other, wildflowers bursting up around them. One man groaned and moved. Still alive.

The Doctor remained still. So unnatural for him.

Rose focused on breathing. The Doctor knew what this was. At least in their universe. That meant it was a known mythology. He used a Norwegian word. If it was like the kraken then it was connected to a territory, this land. And she was invading that territory. Fantastic.

She pulled out her mobile to double check for backup. Again, no signal. That meant it was nearby. Nothing moved. No birds or bees. Rose crawled forward inch by inch until only a few saplings separated her from the men. She’d need to be quick. 

One somewhat quiet sprint and she fell to her to her knees next to the Doctor. His skin was warm to the touch. Not wasting time on a prayer of thanks, she went to work.

“Doctor, wake up.” She shook his shoulder and looked over to find a gray bearded man staring at her.

“Elin?” he asked in a raspy voice.

“She’s fine. We’re gonna get you out.”

Which seemed unlikely as the air became thick with the sour swampy scent and the mountain seemed to explode next to them into the very creature that stole them all.

“Fuck! Doctor, I need you!” 

His eyes slitted open and then widened.

Overwhelming relief and tears burst out. Even as something yanked her away.

“Please don’t,” she said, tears falling in earnest. She mouthed the word run to him before facing the creature which had an odd face made up of moss, rocks, and black coal like eyes. “Whatever reason you’ve taken them, I’m sorry. Please don’t hurt them. I just got the one in blue back after I lost him and…I just need him safe. Please.”

The culmination of everything she’d been through poured out. Defender of the Earth had her limits and after all the fighting, dimension hopping, seeing him shot, a partial regeneration, daleks, being left, regeneration sickness and having to reinvent herself again to stay, and then losing him to a forest whatever. It all came out in choking sobs. 

Expecting to be crushed or ripped apart, Rose found herself crying in the tight tree limb grip of a giant piece of Norwegian pine. Until one budding twig drew tears off her face. A mournful hum sounded Rose apparently commiserated human to forest creature.

“You’ve lost someone,” Rose asked, still sucking in air from crying. “You took them because you’re lonely for your bloke, yeah? God, I know what that’s like.” She patted the tree branch holding her until the sound of the sonic sizzled in the air and the creature slowly sank into the ground taking Rose with it until its grip loosened and she fell into the arms of the gray bearded Erik.

Elin burst out of the wood and Erik set Rose down to lift up Elin.

“Happy endings,” the Doctor said and dropped the arm holding up the sonic, still lying on the ground, one leg twisted at an odd angle.

“Thanks to you. You didn’t hurt her, the um—” 

“Landvættir,” he supplied. “No, she’s fine thanks to you being you. It picked up on your feelings and you’ve always been a bit of an empath, connecting to others around you like you just did here. Even elemental creatures need someone who understands. I just gave her a little sonic lullaby.”

“The old team,” Rose teased, slipping the sonic from his hand as he winced when he tried to sit up.

“Run setting Beta Rose four Three. Medical scan.” 

“Beta Rose huh?” She teased him as distraction from how he pinched his face in obvious pain. She aimed the sonic at his chest.

“No, you first. Chest.” He rested a hand on her thigh, eyes opened showing not pain but fathomless concern he always showed when she was injured.

“Okay, me first and then you.” 

She aimed it at her chest and he muttered, “contusion, cracked rib. Now your head and neck.”

“Doctor, I’m fine. You’re the one lying there not moving.”

“Yes, well took a bit of a tumble and she was a bit cranky when I tried to get up.” He pointed to his chest and Rose again felt panic clawing at her throat.

“I didn’t hit my head.” She pointed the sonic at her neck and head until he nodded.

“Your turn.” 

He also had a cracked rib, concussion and a broken tibia. Erik and Elin tended to the three other men. One didn’t wake up and like the Doctor, another had a broken leg.

“Check your mobile. Should be okay now,” The Doctor offered, struggling to sit up and bracing his leg with limbs Elin gathered. 

“Control, I need evac for seven, and one body. Three immobile.”

“They’re right on top of you, Rose. And do me a favor and ring your mum, she won’t let up and Pete’s up to his arse in the press and Downing Street.”

“Thanks, Jake, and sorry about mum. Rose out.”

“Zeppelin rescue,” the Doctor muttered. “Is Jackie gonna rappel down to have a go at us?”

“Apparently, you have a reprieve.” Rose answered her mobile and held it away from her ear while Jackie let loose a motherly tirade.

Thankfully, Rose cut it short with a calm explanation that they helped motorists at a car crash but the Doctor was injured. She left out the forest elemental. And promised they’d have tea as soon as they made it back to London. Rose may have avoided saying that might be a for a few days.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks everyone for reading. I hope this little fic is giving you a break from the chaos of real life things. Everyone stay safe out there and take are :)

Humaness had lost its sparkle of newness.

Rubbish bones. And even worse inability to direct healing processes and lack of modern medical care. He winced as the plastic compression cast was placed on his lower leg and activated, after they’d cut his trousers. His only suit. The only thing he had…well no. He had Rose. Maybe.

She was sitting on a table being examined, poked, prodded and lectured as much as him. And she was being interrogated. UNIT and their protocols.

“No, The Doctor over there arrived after Davros had locked me and the other Doctor in containment fields.”

“Explain Meta crisis again,” the officer demanded, tapping away on his tablet, recording ever word she said.

“We won’t know how long this will take to heal without a full medical work up,” the doctor called Rija explained as he strained to listen how Rose explained…well him. 

“I’ll see to my own medical work up,” he quickly asserted much to her quick to judge glare.

“We have highly trained and experienced staff in xenobiology and interuniversal travel med evaluation.” She tartly responded.

“Yes, the expert in all that and a whole lot more is right here. The Doctor, and no one on this planet has my experience.”

“And yet you collapsed after arrival and were injured by the anomaly.”

Annoyance at not only his weakened, injured state but a bureaucratic medical tech triggered the inner Time Lord.

“I’d just assisted Agent Tyler saving the multiverse and deserved a kip. And as to the Landvættir, I was making an attempt to evaluate its intent and once I did that with Agent Tyler’s help, I neutralized it. 

“Further and you might want to take notes. I have an incomplete fracture in my left fibula ten centimeters from the fibula notch. My third rib, right side has a hairline fracture, and I have a level two contusion over my sternum. The concussion is slight and located in my left temple. I don’t’ think I need to tell you, your blood pressure equipment is off by twenty units and that rumble is my stomach because this body requires more nutrients than the chips we picked up while fleeing the press.”

“Dr. Akel,” Rose interrupted with the officer who it appeared had given up her debriefing. “I believe we have our new scientific advisor stabilized, correct?”

“Scientific Advisor?” he asked. “I may have a concussion but I don’t recall agreeing—”

“Stable enough but without a proper evaluation of his biology we can’t prescribe pain meds.”

“Understood. We’ll work out the details when we get to Bergen,” Rose firmly interrupted with a very familiar head incline and narrowed eyes that he recognized as follow my lead, much to his amusement. 

“I’d like more time to review my debriefing and add details I’m sure I missed,” Rose turned back to the Major. “I’m knackered from everything from dimensional jumps to sorting activity back on this world. Which hopefully should die down now that we’ve solved the cause of the universal wall weakening. And the Doctor’s right. Neither of us has had a decent meal or hydration. We’d be liability on any mission at this point and UNIT has other priorities at the moment.”

“Agreed,” the Major inclined his head. “Captain Tyler has arranged lodgings for you until we’ve dealt with the…” He paused. “Trolls.”

“Trolls,” the Doctor repeated. “I’d love to see them! You know, if legend is true, the sun will sort them. Bit overcast today, isn't it?” Oh, he did enjoy poking stiff upper lip UNIT types. And he had judging by the tick in the good Major’s jaw.

“He has a point,” Rose backed him up which was more of a relief than he was willing to admit out loud.

“I think Agent Simmons is working with the science team on something that will replicate sunlight. I hear bullets haven’t been real successful,” Rose added much to his delight. 

“We’ll be landing in Bergen shortly,” the Major seemed to dismiss her. His type always did, the Doctor mused.

“Brigadier Bambera and I look forward to your complete report, Agent Tyler.” The Major straightened his shoulders, very military way, nodded and turned to leave before dropping one more order that left the Doctor’s mood uplifted.

“You are on mandatory leave until further notice. Do not interact with the press or engage in behavior that will incite panic, mayhem or involve the need for another team to intervene. Am I clear?”

“Yes, Major.” Rose looked about ready to burst out in laughter which again, reminded him that her role wasn’t so much gun toting military type. By the slight escape of a harumph from the Major, his bet was on Rose doing what he’d always done. Try to stop them from being barge in and shoot it up idiots.

“Can he walk?” Rose asked.

“Of course, he can!” the Doctor enthused itching to get off the examination table even as Rija grabbed his arm.

“With assistance straight to your suite,” Rija ordered. “And he needs to stay off it as much as possible and give himself time to heal. Both of you are ordered to rest, eat nutritious food and monitor your conditions. I’ve taken the liberty to order you something more than chips.”

Rose rolled her eyes and the Doctor was bouncing with a second wind to escape with her. 

“Thanks, Dr. Akel. Come on Doctor, let’s let UNIT get back to their original mission.”

“Brilliant idea, Agent Tyler.” He winced at a sharp pain radiating up his leg not to mention the dull ache in his chest. Rose caught his arm as he wobbled.

“Don’t forget the Landvættir,” he reminded the uniformed troops who seemed to appear from nowhere. How unsettling. “I lulled the Landvættir to sleep but if there are any more electromagnetic fluctuations, universal hiccups, or low-level radiation bursts from the Void, she might wake up and she’s got a mate out there somewhere as well. Best to quarantine the area.”

“They’ve got a full perimeter set up.” Rose wrapped an arm around his waist as he shifted weight off his injured leg. “They’ll call if they need help with anything. Now shift.”

Escorted was a relative term as the troops saluted them…well Rose with several Ma’ams until they reached a steep ramp. Dignity was lost as Rose and one other young private helped him down until at the bottom they were greeted by a parallel but familiar face. Ah the Brig. But not his. He’d never see his Brig again and with that thought, a shadow eclipsed his prior spurt of energy.

“Brigadier, did they pull you out of retirement already?” Rose greeted.

“A favor to your father. Congratulations on a successful mission. I’ve been briefed on our newest recruit. Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart.” The elderly, mustached man shoved a hand at the Doctor which he grasped firmly. 

“Brigadier, brilliant to meet you. Not sure about the recruit though.”

“I’m sure Agent Tyler will fill you in. Despite their unusual methods and our apprehension with Torchwood, UNIT has found Tylers only bring the best. Your father has made arrangements in Bergen and I’m needed in London. Brigadier Bambera is overseeing operations in Norway. Do try and not make her job more difficult.” 

“We’ll do our best,” Rose promised and with one final nod, the Brig disappeared in a swarm of troops.

“Tylers only bring the best” The Doctor nudged Rose with an elbow and then winced.

“Come on you, to bed.”

“So forward and commanding.” It brightened him to see her blush. Especially among all the military types, guns and stomping boots.

“I don’t think you’re quite up to that.” She encouraged him forward, a familiar teasing tone already easing pangs of loss and tension at their circumstances.

“You’d be surprised what this old man can be up to.” He shocked himself as the flirt kept pouring out. The pain reeled him back in as Rose and their escort gently angled him into the back of a black SUV.

Where he immediately lost consciousness curled up next to Rose, awakening again to be further escorted into a very posh hotel, filled with UNIT types. After a few arduous steps across the marbled entrance, and a cramped lift, they walked into an even posher suite.

“Vitex certainly pays or was that Torchwood? Couldn’t be a Captain’ salary at UNIT.” He hobbled past a small kitchenette, through a living area to part curtains to look out over the overcast city. “Guess the Trolls are still on the march.”

“We’re not doing trolls. We did Daleks, a kraken and the forest whatsit.” Rose whisked by him as a knock sounded at the door.

“Better be food,” she mumbled making her way to the door.

“Some things haven’t changed. A hungry and sleep deprived Rose is a cranky Rose.”

“A Rose who once again came to your rescue and is covered in forest muck. Like that time on Orvoo-ahchoo. So many pine needles.” She itched at her neck and the Doctor couldn’t help but grin at the memory of her leading a group of farmers on a protest rescuing him from the clutches of the evil bureaucrats who forced him to listen to hours of all the codes he violated. Not unlike Time Lords.

“Orvooackchoo. It’s the ack your missing and you were brilliant.” 

She snorted and opened the door to find another UNIT officer next to waitstaff. 

“Your equipment, Ma’am. And Captain Tyler arranged for some amenities.” The starched and stiff uniformed officer set down two metal valises on the round dining room table. The Doctor’s mood turned sour. Aching leg. Head throbbing and now some military pillock stealing his time with Rose. He’d already lost enough of that.

The only light moment arrived in the gorgeous scent of what could only be Sunday Roast activating his salivary glands. Disgusting but he’d adjust for a meal.

“Thanks, Lieutenant Benson.”

“Good old Pete Tyler!” The Doctor hobbled to a table eyeing bags and luggage. “Benson, I knew a Benson back in the day. Of course, different Universe and he’d be ohhh about forty years older than you give or take a few years. John Benson. Good man.” 

“My father is John Benson, retired Captain,” he said, casting a sidelong look at the Doctor.

“Thanks again Lieutenant,” Rose quickly intervened much to the Doctor’s amusement. Parallel worlds were tricky.

“Please tell Brigadier Bambera she’ll have my report first thing in the morning after I’ve had a chance to get everything down, yeah.”

“I’ll inform her. Let us know if you need anything.”

“How’d it go with the Trolls?” the Doctor asked around a mouthful of crispy potatoes that melted in his mouth until he wanted to moan.” 

“That would be classified as is everything discussed here.” The Lieutenant glared at the hotel staff who quickly scurried away.

“Sorry,” Rose apologized. 

“Why? It’s not like you can hide a bunch of Trolls holding the highway hostage. Oh alliteration! I love that.” He dunked his fingers in the gravy and licked it off his fingers. And he didn’t miss Rose’s lips part and a delightful flush gave her cheeks a nice pink tint. 

“I’ll just be going then.” Lieutenant Benton cleared his throat and escaped.

Yep, he still had it.

“Seriously?” Rose collapsed onto a chair as Benton left, before tucking into a plate with mounds of roast, potatoes, green something he’d have to investigate, and Norwegian Rye Bread with lingonberry jam.

“I’m so starving,” Rose mumbled around a mouthful of everything.

He paused just enjoying watching her lick jam off her fingers and sigh at the simple pleasure of a hot meal. Which he had to admit was uplifting to him in a warm and drowsy way. But before his body failed him again in another round of annoying need to rest, he needed to talk to Rose. No more wasted time.

“You know,” he drew out, sighing at hot bread and jam. “Today things got a smidge contentious out there.”

“They did,” Rose nodded, tipping a bottle of water to her lips before continuing. “And that’s not good. I thought I lost you and all because us, we’ve still got a lot missing between us.”

“Missing?” He pondered that word and what she meant. “You mean what Rose Tyler has been up to other than crossing universes. And how I apparently have some Earth detecting and discovery to do while you give me the domestics run down. So we don’t end up—” He puffed his cheeks out and exhaled.

“With you carted off and almost being crushed while I sit in a tree losing it and contemplating my shite love life. Yeah, could do with less of that. Maybe even less injuries and mucking about for a bit. Have a nice lie in, eat toast and catch up on Unsolved Mysteries.”

“You mean that show with the bloke who gives you the deets and oh so never saying that again.” He shook himself much to Rose’s amusement which was good. Much better than the other. “I mean it’s re-creations of humany mysteries with dramatic music, personal accounts and questionable investigations which I will undoubtedly solve in thirty seconds or less. Still might be fun.”

“And relaxing and we could both use that.” Her gaze drafted down to his leg which at the moment was beginning to surpass ache and venture into cutting pain. He scrunched up his face shifting his leg looking for comfort.

“Let’s put that up.” Before he could protest his leg was propped up on a pillow laden chair and Rose was re arranging the table for his comfortable reach. Jam being shoved closer to him before she settled down to finish her meal.

“I’m all right, you know. I’ll heal faster than a human.”

“Your part human and you don’t know how you’ll heal yet. Like you didn’t know if that thing was going to kill you”

“Rose, it was going to catch us even if we were in the jeep. And you might not have escaped.” His throat tightened and he couldn’t swallow even a sip of water at the thought. 

“Maybe. But you have to understand that I couldn’t stand there and let you die.”

He poked at his meal, drawing Gallifreyan in the gravy on his plate absorbing the heaviness and conviction in her words.

“I…couldn’t go on if anything happened to you. I’ve done that once and it wasn’t like when I lost other companions,” he revealed.

“I know, I saw you die in one universe. That’s what worries me.”

His head whipped up. “That reality never happened. You fixed it. I thought we put this point to bed.”

He struggled up, easing his leg to the floor, pain lancing up as he hobbled toward the metal cases. “So, what did UNIT leave us? Laptops, tablets, something I can use to keep tabs on them?” Deflect and move on remained his go to.

“Doctor,” Rose’s ever present and often repeated sigh. “This is our life now. Whether or not it’s what either of us planned or wanted.”

“Ready to toss me aside already?” Maybe it was the throbbing pain in his temple or how his chest felt like he’d just received Davros zap all over again, but the Doctor sank straight into that bitter dark place.

“Must be something good in here. We should really focus on sneaking a peek at how badly UNIT is botching the Troll march.” He dug in his coat pocket for his sonic for a little breaking and entering until he hit a Rose Tyler wall. 

“No, we’re having this out before you pass out again.” 

“I’m not going to pass out,” he argued even as he wobbled and felt an annoying drain as if the floor was turning into an energy vortex which was quite an alarming thought. Rose ducked under his arm, wrapping her blessedly warm body around him and directing him to the nearby loveseat.

“I love you, all of you, the Time Lord, the Meta Crisis, the alien with a millennium of knowledge of all time and space, the arrogant git who insults humans and the one who bears it all and thinks he’s not worth it. But he’s worth it to me.” 

Every word raised his already all over the place emotions into a state of trembling that had nothing to do with pain. How could one biologic vessel, a singular mortal existence contain the depth of passion and love he had for her. Overwhelmed, he stared down at the frayed threads of his trousers cut above the cast seeking some semblance of control he once had.

“This is hard for both of us but in those woods, I promised myself to talk to you and make sure you know how loved you are.” She rubbed circles on his back, surrounding him with that essence of home he’d missed. And wasn’t it funny how Rose and the Tylers had so quickly become his home.

“We’ve both lost so much and we can’t lose this. No matter how much you’re lost in your head or the past or guilt or all the terrible in the multiverse, I won’t let you do it alone. It’s not taking you from me again.”

Rose Tyler. So human and yet so much more as well. No human words or songs could scratch the surface for all he felt for her. And she’d quite thrown a gauntlet down. Offering love, acceptance and protection was a challenge he would meet.

He locked eyes on her leaning in until their lips brushed, soft, faintly tasting of their meal. Awkwardness prevailed with both of them injured, but that again, was so them. She smiled against the lightest butterfly kiss he pressed against the corner of her mouth. Vibrations from her slight laugh turned into her tongue tracing the seam of his lips until he welcomed the intimacy and essence of Rose. A snog to save his life. 

She pulled away after one delightful tug at his bottom lip.

“No promise I can make to you will ever be enough,” he vowed, lacing the fingers of his right hand with hers. "My intentions are to make good on this forever promise and to keep us both from injury or testing the limits of mortality.” He cleared his throat. “I believe that means I need a bit more information on this world so I can be an adequate partner and, you know, stick around and make Rose Tyler happy. As in not worried for the fate of the world, mythological creatures wreaking havoc or rampaging or the usual defending our world pish posh. But that might take some effort which is a bit rubbish.” He sniffed and shrugged. 

“I think we can do that and still have fun,” she answered. “But ya know, right now, fun might be recovering in a nice hotel suite with room service. How about we promise no more running for our lives for the next forty-eight hours, at least, and having a lie-in. I’ll give you a laptop to sonic while I file a billion reports.” She frowned at that last bit.

“A billion? Sounds like Time Lords.” Funny how he didn’t wince at that reference any more.

“It’s actually copy and paste in triplicate or more and then distribute to a dozen or more departments. Later, we might have to have a chat with the President for the whole we saved the multiverse thing. Which you will behave for or you’ll be on entertain my Mum duty and probably shopping with Mum punishment.”

“You wouldn’t dare,” he sputtered, a relief and warmth oozing through him even at her threat. Or it could be more of that pesky exhaustion.

“Come on, let’s get you settled in bed.”

“Always trying to get me in the sack,” he teased as she helped him up.

“Always injured or unconscious,” she gave in cheeky reply as they hobbled across the small living area toward the bedroom and oh the gorgeous queen-sized bed and fluffy white duvet. 

“We may have to cut the rest of your trousers off.” She bit her lip eyeing his lower body in a very calculating and not sexy way. And his stomach twisted at losing yet more of his few possessions. Which Rose seemed to pick up on as she squeezed his arm.

“We don’t have to. Let’s see if we can’t get you shimmied out without too much damage. Sorry we don’t have pain pills. At least until you figure out what you can take.”

“I’m fine,” he snapped as his arse hit the bed and every squirm of his hips left him breaking out in sweat from lancing pain down his injured leg. Not to mention the building pressure in his chest and dull throbbing temple.

“Let’s take a breather.” Rose sat next to him and plopped back on the bed until they lay side by side. “This is lovely. The bed, not you being all manly brave not admitting you’re about to gnaw your leg off.”

“I’m not.” Oh, he was grumpy and showing it. Still, it was well earned. “Is this what it’s like for humans. Do the right thing, save the mythological creature or what not, and linger in a state of misery until your rubbish body decides to heal itself?”

“Well, there’s all the lovely cuddling up with pillows, eating feel good treats, marathoning telly or surfing the net whinging about whatever everyone is whinging about. And online shopping. That always helps me.” 

He rolled his head to the side to find her whiskey brown eyes sparkling almost as bright as her tongue touched smile. Oh yes, he’d deal with the pain. After being loud and human about it.

“Online shopping huh? Well, not exactly the market on Vireakilx but I’ll give it a go. Do we have funds? We need those right? I mean Rose Tyler, will you be my sugar mama?” 

Rose burst out in howling laughter that shook the bed. He didn’t even mind it jarred his aching ribs or that he might want to groan and gasp for breath. Until she sucked in air and grimaced.

“You’re more injured than you let on. All this going on about me when you’re just as bad.” He leveraged himself up. “I need to take care of you. With no TARDIS and rubbish twenty first century medicine.” His heart hammered in his chest. “No, no, no.” He grunted and stood.

“Doctor, it’s okay.”

“But it’s not. I need to get cracking on another TARDIS.” He tugged and pulled at his hair as his mind whirled with lists, things he needed, calculations and Rose, always circling her. “We need an inner sanctum, security, pillows and bubbles and things so you don’t—” Oxygen seemed to deplete in a heady dizzying way as Rose guided him back to sit on the edge of the bed, broken leg before him like the liability it was.

“I’ve put you in danger, in harm’s way with no way to care for you,” he admitted, his mood once again plummeting downward into that dark place that was often home, his failures and all the people he’d lost or hurt.

“Stop it,” her firm voice and the pressure of her fingers through his suit coat, brought him back to the present.

“I was the first out of the jeep to go investigate and if you’ll remember, you were sore at me. I made a choice. And it won’t be the last time I make a choice to help. That’s what we’ve always done, you and me. Doesn’t have to be to stop an alien invasion or take a bullet or get tossed about by the forest elemental spirit thing.”

“A bullet. No.” He couldn't help but really examine her, trailing his fingers along her jaw, down her neck and clavicle.

“It was over a year ago on a dimension jump. Was an accident. I was stupid and didn’t move fast enough. Nothing overly serious, barely even a scar.” She was trying to comfort him and he would not have it.

“No, it was serious. I wasn’t here to help and you could have—” Every muscle tightened and tears burned his eyes. The Doctor tugged her into his arms, both of them wincing but still clinging to each other. “No more bullets,” he murmured into her neck. “No more anything for a while.”

He pulled back.

“You’re right. We need pillows, rest and to plan our life. But not like a plan plan. More of a goal, or something goal-like,” he drew out until she smiled again.

“All right. First things first. You, out of the suit and in bed.”

“So forceful,” he teased as she eased him back and they worked his trousers off around the compression cast until he was free. He shrugged out of his coat and scooted across the bed to the pile of pillows Rose had fluffed.

“Not fair. You’re all dressed.” He eyed her blue leather coat, and leaves still in her hair.

“Gonna shower. We’ll figure out bathing for you in the morning. I need to wash off the forest.”

“You’re sure that’s all?” he asked, noting circles under eyes and a grimace of pain as she shrugged off her coat. “I’m not sleeping until I know you’re out of the shower. And I shouldn’t be left unattended given my concussion. We have to tag team this healing thing.”

“Doctor’s orders,” she responded with a bit more of the Rose Tyler spunk.

“Quite right,” he nodded. She tossed him the remote for the telly.

“Be right back.” She ducked out for a few of the shopping bags that had been delivered and disappeared into the ensuite.

Despite his determination to make sure she made it out of the shower safely, which with their record, was a real concern, he dozed off listening to the news report about trolls taking a bridge hostage.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone who read, and for the lovely comments and kudos!

Rose winced at her reflection in the mirror. A red and purple bruise blossomed across her chest matching the throbbing ache that threatened to steal her breath. She slipped off her bra and fluffed more pine needles out of her hair.

The shower was her reprieve. And therapy. A place to wash away yet another battle and emotional trauma. God, but she’d lost it in the woods. Tears threatened again as she thought about how close she came to losing him, yet again.

They were both a mess and needed recovery time. Possibly therapy.

On the TARDIS, they took holidays after some of their more brutal adventures. They’d always been able to decompress at a nice beach, festival or wandering a market and eating local food. Not that they’d talked it out. Instead it was gorgeous sites, luscious food and reminder that all the universe was not terrible

All of time in space wasn’t available now, and the Doctor wasn’t very mobile with this leg. Still, he’d always enjoyed London. Not exactly a holiday though.

Rose had earned at least a few weeks off after so many years working on the Dimension Cannon and all the jumps and every day solve the world ending problems. Like hunting cybers. She’d really like for cyber hunting days to come to an end.

She wasn’t ready to go back to London, the daily grind of work, sleep, more work and her mum whinging about Tony and day care issues. The thought of going back to her life, even one as exciting as hers, left a hollow feeling in her chest that had nothing to do with her own injury. 

They needed to find their own footing as well as rest and figure out life. God that was depressing. She ducked under the pounding spray. She had no fucking clue what came next. The Doctor and the TARDIS had been as far as she’d planned.

Now she had an injured Time Lord Meta Crisis with anxiety, frustrations and possible post-traumatic stress issues which she might share just a bit. And then there was talking, which they’d only just started. Not that she was much better at it than him. Not even during her TARDIS days. How many times had she avoided the emotional talks too afraid of pushing him away? It hadn’t been fair to either of them, and she wouldn’t repeat that mistake. They only had this one life.

She scrubbed at her hair in an attempt to clear her head and think of what she wanted, and how to keep him engaged, out of self-destructive, dark oncoming storm mode. 

There was no easy answer as hot water rinsed soap from her hair. Unless it was sex.

She finished her shower and wiped the steamed mirror. She looked like shit, dark circles, and bruises everywhere. Definitely not sex. And she wasn’t sure she was even ready for that if he even wanted it. It wasn’t like she counted on it. She could take care of herself. Sex hadn’t been a priority for well, years. Funny how easy she prioritized without sex getting in the way

All she wanted right then was a cuddle and sleep. And to wake up with him next to her, and know she wasn’t alone anymore. But first she had to make sure he didn’t fall into a coma. So romantic. 

At least she had some clean clothes and knickers. Rose didn’t want to think too hard on where they came from or who had shopping duty. Clearly her mum had some say by the pink cotton knickers and long sleep shirt with the space duck logo. Her brother’s favorite cartoon. Not something that would lead to sexy times. At least her mother would think that. Rose, on the other hand, saw it as very them, two sexy space and time idiots who couldn’t keep out of trouble. Or talk about the important things.

She was both relieved and worried to find him stretched out unconscious on the very enticing bed. All lanky in his shorts, t-shirt and blue compression cast. She crawled across and sat on her knees taking a moment to enjoy one last look of quiet at peace Doctor.

“Doctor” Rose pressed a hand into his shoulder. He wrinkled his nose and buried his face into the pillow before one chocolate brown eye flickered open.

“Rose.” He reached a hand out and poked a finger into the space duck int the gray bubble space suit emblazoned on the middle of her chest. “Ducks in space.” 

He grinned and gave her a slow blink before pinching the bridge of his nose. “Blimey it’s going to take some get used to. This humany sleep thing. Although…I think my body might be kicking into healing mode.” He again squinted and wiggled his toes.

“How do you know?” She shimmied down on her side next to him.

“Itches and tingles and—” He sighed and squirmed on the bed. “Itches like healing. Probably should eat and sleep a bit more and I’ll be right as rain. Although I don’t know why rain is right? Silly human idiom.” He patted the bed and huffed. “I miss my brainy specs.”

“We’ll get you new ones along with clothes and whatever stuff you need. I’m just glad you’re feeling better.” She couldn’t resist stroking her fingers through his hair and he seemed to enjoy it leaning into her with a hum.

“Was worried about you,” he mumbled, eyes half shut. “I’m failing at this whole partner thing making you do all the heavy lifting when you need someone to hold you.”

Rose’s heart swelled and tears threatened and this time not in fear or sadness.

“You’ve always been a pretty good partner. Why’d you think I traveled so far for you. I Need you,” Her voice cracked and she turned onto her back to get a grip.

“I need you too and don’t you dare pull away. That’s not how this thing works. Or so you’ve told me.” He grunted and shifted over until Rose curled up next to him cheek resting on his shoulder.

“I think you you’ve shouldered enough worry and pressure of the entire multiverse on your shoulders and I say that as someone who knows that burden well.” He assured as he wrote swirls of what she thought was gallifreyan across her shoulder and down her arm.

Rose tugged at his t-shirt and smoothed it around his waist, unsure what to say when he spoke so openly with her. And this him had been more open with her than any him she’d know.

“Yeah, that’s what I said earlier. Need a nap and some time to I dunno.” She rubbed her nose into his t-shirt covered shoulder inhaling the slight sweet musk of Doctor, part human now, but still, he had this particular smell of old books, tea and a hint of evergreen from their forest adventure.

“Funny, I had all of time and space, wanted to take you everywhere and every when but I couldn’t quite make it to the important places. Now, here we are with no time but Kraken, Landvættir, Trolls and all the potential for more adventure. It’s all out there. Just a matter of where we go first.”

Rose hummed and snuggled against him, nudging his hip with her knee.

“I think a lounge in this Suite, file some reports, enjoy some telly and then we pick a direction.”

“Jackie will find us,” He stated that with a wide-eyed stare at the ceiling before turning to her. “I’m not stealing you from her again. I just want us time and then some family time and trouble time and who knows what.”

“Us time is the priority.” Rose nodded with agreement. “But I’ve got to get UNIT time done first,” she admitted with a groan and sat up much to his grumbling.

“Boring time.” He scowled and reached for his coat pulling out his sonic and aimed it at the flat screen telly broadcasting the news about the Trolls and UNIT armed vehicles aiming giant lights at them which the Trolls didn’t seem to like much given the smashing and general chaos.

“It has to be the right mix of ultraviolet light and infrared,” the Doctor mumbled. “And they didn’t have to start with that. There could have been negotiating. Promise them a few goats, a bridge, some nice mutton sausage, cheese or jelly babies. You never go wrong with jelly babies.”

“I’ll text Jake and see what tech’s out there. Speaking of which, I need to unpack whatever Dad sent so I can report, you can google, and do some scientific advising with Jake and Dad.” She patted him on the shoulder before he grabbed her hand stopping her from slipping from bed.

“Same old team, right? Giving UNIT the we told you so and then sweep in to save the day but with more time for us.”

“Well, there is we saved the world snogging.” Which she leaned down to emphasize until he tried to roll on top of her and broke free cursing when he moved his still healing leg.

“Fucking inadequate human body. This is such rubbish!” His temper tantrum continued with his head thrust into pillows.

“Thus, the long-distance consulting in the posh, if not beige and bland, hotel suite.” I’ll be right back. 

A little food, snuggle, snog with the Doctor and Rose found her second wind.

“Oi, don’t forget the fyrstekake!”

Padding out in her bare feet and sleep shirt, Rose stopped in the middle of the tiny living room. It hit her how domestic but still them this all was. Him with the sonic ranting about humans mucking about with the not quite alien of the day. Her on the tech and sweets run. 

She breathed in the cool otherwise boring hotel air. Relief crept ever so slowly across her shoulders, easing an anxiety Rose had ignored since the stars began disappearing. Grabbing the bag with the tart, tossing in spoons, bottled water and grabbing their tech, Rose made her way back into their bedroom, only to find him aiming his sonic at the telly, whizzing through channels.

“Those idiots are going to blow up Bergen.” 

Rose plopped down the dessert bag which he quickly grabbed, tearing into the wrapping groaning about delicious buttery tart and cardamom.

Her stomach growled on cue and he grinned, a spoon of tart disappearing into his mouth.

“This is molto bene, superb, brilliant even! I think this may make up for some of the downgrades. I mean cardamom-scented almond paste sandwiched between a rich, buttery dough and my body is releasing happy endorphins. Can’t analyze it beyond ingredients but it’s better than not tasting at all. Can you imagine not being able to taste another banana? Rubbish.” He shoved more tart in his gob whilst sonicing the telly.

Rose quickly unpacked laptops, secure satellite Wi-Fi and a few other bits and bobs to make the world saving easier before crawling across the bed next to him. 

“Please don’t hack anyone who’ll blow us up. UNIT gets tetchy when you invade their tech.”

“And you know this how?” he asked, passing a container of tart to Rose before sonicing, and tapping at a keyboard and darting glances as Rose logged in, sitting cross legged and propped against pillows and the headboard.

“Mickey did it,” she said without much thought. She scooped up a bite of tart before pulling up the statement she made earlier and wincing at the hundred messages she had to answer.

“He’s brilliant, you know.” The Doctor admitted the compliment much to her shock. “Mr. Mickey always had potential. I’m glad he found his way even if it’s in another universe. Jake isn’t bad either. At least he’s willing to listen and not blow up the Trolls."  
”  
Rose listened to the speedy tap of his fingers. 

“He misses Mickey.”

Rose stopped, fingers hovering over her keyboard before glancing at him. She found brown eyes trained on her.

“I knew it was hard for you, to let Mickey go. He’s family but he needed to be Mickey Smith, his own person separate from you and Jackie. He made quite the impression here. Like you have. He’ll be brilliant in the other universe. Even with the Metacrisis, I could feel it.”

Rose swallowed down the thick hot emotion welling. She’d compartmentalized so much the past two days.

“Yeah, I knew what he was going to do.”

“According to Jake, he’s left behind quite a legacy. We might have to stick our noses in to make sure it doesn’t get lost in UNIT regulations. Jake’s a bit keen on that as well. I knew I liked him.” He tapped out something and grinned which should have worried her.

“So maybe you’re not opposed to the whole scientific advisor job?” Rose asked tentatively, adding more details about the Daleks on parallel Earth to her report.”

“It’s not like I haven’t done it before. There’ll have to be concessions. My own lab. I won’t participate in annihilating any species including humans. Especially humans,” he emphasized. “I won’t develop weapons. They don’t touch my new TARDIS, even infant TARDIS. No saluting. No reports. And I only do this if I work with you.”

“All right,” Rose answered slowly, her mind racing at the significance. “You might have to file some reports.”

“How about you file the reports whilst I keep UNIT from blowing themselves up which could take a significant amount of my time based on a few things Jake is showing me. Really, your dimension canon is based on a remarkably primitive cold fusion technology. And that Macklioh data cube could blow up Canary Wharf. You are still at Torchwood Tower? Or has UNIT moved you to a bunker.”

“Big Ben,” she supplied, sending an IM to Jake warning him not to overshare and set off the higher authority rant.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, there’s a secret bunker there, loads of them under all of London, but we’ve got some equipment storage at the top of the tower. It’s a bit fun,” she admitted having only been to the top to get a break from jumps. The big clock and ticking gears helped her think.

“I’d love to see that. I may enjoy this job that we won’t refer to as a job.”

“So that’s it, you want to settle in, go to work, eat beans on toast and have Sunday tea with my family?” She was slightly disappointed if that was the case.

“Rose, remember that part where we have a plan but not a plan plan. If you want us to go back to London and live that life, I can give it a go but I didn’t think that was where we were going with this whole partnership and talking thing.”

“No, I’m not ready for that kind of life.” Relief poured through her. “I mean, we’ve always taken things a day a time. Honestly, I can’t think beyond that. Other than I’d like to keep up with this whole talking thing. And lounging in bed eating tart and ordering room service. Could do that for a bit. But that’s not really you, is it?” 

“I don’t know, I rather like this bed. And you in bed with me. I have so much to learn about this world and universe. It would appear my education starts here. Of course, we could sneak out for a wander, without UNIT or Torchwood hounding us. Love a good sneak.”

Now that was a classic Doctor move and one Rose was on board with.

“Wouldn’t mind being a tourist. Maybe not just Bergen. But to be clear on this whole partnership thing, is it leading to more than just mates who get into trouble or—” Rose nervously tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.

“No, I thought the snogging made that clear.”

Rose shut the laptop and lounged on her side until her toes traced his good ankle.

“I didn’t want to make assumptions. I mean maybe you just did that because you thought it’s what I wanted or what would make me stay with you. You always gave such mixed signals. I mean I do want forever with you as more than friends. I love you and that means, sharing time, a flat, my family, pub crawls, UNIT stuff and holidays exploring places like Norway.”

“Sharing stuff. I always liked sharing my stuff with you, Rose Tyler,” he admitted with a touch of the old swagger. Her heart warmed and some of the aches and pains from a day of adventuring ebbed.

“Well there’s not much stuff,” she admitted, her voice breaking a little.

Another link in the chain tethering her to this world plinked into place. She’d have to make an effort to fit now. Not just a temporary home. She rubbed at her temples and the heavy burden she now faced filling expected roles at UNIT and with her family. There was shopping, paperwork, her flat not being big enough, and choosing a career path that didn’t destroy her on the inside.

Warm fingers wrapped around her wrist tugging her closer.

“Stop,” he quietly ordered. “I’m a touch telepath but with you, I can feel it when your wound up, your thoughts are blaring like the cloister bell.”

Rose couldn’t help but smile. But his admission also hit a sensitive spot.

“Like in my head, reading my thoughts?”

“No, and are we really going to do that again?” he thudded his head on the pillows. “Thought sharing would require us to make an effort to be that connected. Right now, it’s like you’re this soft glow in the background. But when you were gone and we were separated--”

He swallowed hard and stared at the ceiling.

Rose laced her fingers through his.

“I’m right here now. And I’m glad with the TARDIS gone, I can help you feel less alone.” 

“Yeah,” he answered softly, still seeming lost in his own head. Silence stretched for an eternity before she was the one to break it which was odd given, he never liked quiet. 

“So, building life, buying stuff and not dying on each other.”

That cracked the slightest smile on his stubble covered face.

“Sounds like a start. But you know, I can’t promise that it won’t be without a few diversions, bumps or some wibbley wobbley timey wimey stuff.”

“I can’t promise I won’t be a bit protective over you and us. Might have to make some family time, play dates with my brother, and sometimes I might need a good whinge or rant or cry.”

“And growing a TARDIS,” he added softly, almost reverently before he snapped out of it. “How about hugs? We still good on that?” he asked and Rose wiggled into his arms and enjoyed the best of the Doctor hugs. The kind where she buried her nose in his neck, plastered against his chest, warmth pooling between them. Affirming, comforting and just bloody brilliant.

“Missed hugging you,” she mumbled into his neck smiling at the slight coarse stubble. 

“Best part of the day,” he admitted kissing the top of her head. Until they were rudely interrupted by an IM chime.

“Oh look! Trolls sorted Ha!” He snaked his arm around her and they sat up huddled around his laptop a video streaming of events in Bergen. “See, a good bribe, followed by a sunlight nap.”

“And all from the comfort of your recovery bed,” Rose teased. “A first for us.”

“Well I am good,” he gave her a cheeky tilt of his head and smirk. “We’re just that good. Aren’t we?”

The slight question touched her heart more than she could ever express. 

“Yes, in or out of bed.” She flushed as he waggled his eyebrows at her unintentional double entendre.

“I meant we can enjoy a tea in bed, streaming some telly and save the world without much fuss. Not that we can’t go out there and show them how it’s done but it’s nice to just be here and relax, yeah?”

“Quite right too. Now then, about this show of yours. Show me these Unsolved Mysteries.”

UNIT report could wait. Rose had her Doctor, delicious tart, a comfy bed, snuggling and Netflix. Paperwork would happen later, and lots of it, but for now, Rose and the Doctor were on holiday.


End file.
